Hello, Golf fans! If you love following the Golf and admire world-class, Nelly Korda is a name you’ll recognize instantly. Nelly Korda is one of the biggest stars in modern women’s golf, known for her calm personality, fluid swing, and ability to show up in big moments on the LPGA Tour. As of early 2026 she is a multiple major champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and one of the highest‑earning female golfers in the world.
Nelly Korda’s Biography
| Attribute | Details |
| Full Name | Nelly Korda |
| Nickname | N/A |
| Date of Birth | July 28, 1998 |
| Age | 27 years old |
| College | N/A |
| Nationality | American (USA) |
| Height | 5’10” (1.78 m) |
| Turned Professional | 2016 (at age 18) |
| Current Net Worth | $12.5–$15 million |
| Earnings | $13–$14 million |
| Engaged | Casey Gunderson |
| Relationship Status | Engaged |
| Instagram Profile | @nellykorda |
Early Career
Nelly Korda grew up in Bradenton, Florida, surrounded by elite sport because of her tennis‑star parents. She was a top junior, playing the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open as a 14‑year‑old amateur and representing the United States at junior team events.
In 2016 she turned professional and joined the Symetra Tour, where she won the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge to earn her LPGA Tour card. Those early results showed how quickly she could translate junior promise into professional‑level performances.
Professional career
Korda’s LPGA breakthrough came with her first LPGA Tour win at the 2018 Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship. She followed that with multiple victories in 2019, firmly establishing herself as one of the tour’s most reliable contenders. In 2021 she climbed to world number one and captured her first major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, then added an Olympic gold medal in women’s golf at the Tokyo 2020 Games held in 2021.
Her form surged again in 2024, a season highlighted in coverage as one of the best of her career, with seven titles and more than 4 million USD in prize money. In 2025 she did not match that win total but still finished near the top of the LPGA money list, supported by several high finishes including a runner‑up at the U.S. Women’s Open and strong year‑end events.
Engaged
Nelly Korda is engaged to Casey Gunderson, whom she announced on November 28, 2025. Gunderson is a Florida-based businessman and vice president at Florida Engineering in Port Charlotte, Florida. The couple shared their engagement announcement through Instagram photos from a romantic beach setting, celebrating their commitment to marry.
Prior to her relationship with Gunderson, Korda was in a high-profile relationship with professional ice hockey player Andreas Athanasiou from 2019 onward, though that relationship ended before she began dating Gunderson. To date, Korda does not have any children, focusing her energy on her professional golf career and recent engagement.
Nelly Korda’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Nelly Korda’s net worth is estimated between $12.5 and $15 million, making her one of the wealthiest professional golfers in the world. Her wealth accumulation has accelerated dramatically in recent years, driven both by her tournament success and by lucrative endorsement deals with major global brands.
According to Sportico’s 2025 analysis, Korda earned approximately $13 million during 2025 alone, with only $2.8 million coming from prize money and tournament winnings, while an impressive $11 million originated from endorsement contracts and sponsorships. This demonstrates that her off-course earnings significantly exceed her on-course prize money, a hallmark of truly elite athletes who transcend their sport through commercial appeal and brand recognition.
In 2024, she earned $4.4 million in prize money combined with $10 million in endorsements, ranking her as the 8th highest-paid female athlete globally according to Forbes and Sportico. Her career earnings on the LPGA Tour alone exceed $16.1 million, and when combined with her endorsement portfolio, her total net worth continues to grow substantially year after year.
Prize Money
| Tournament/Achievement | Year | Purse/Prize Money |
| Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge (Symetra) | 2016 | $31,500 |
| Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship | 2018 | $330,000 |
| ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open | 2019 | $195,000 |
| Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA 2 | 2019 | $330,000 |
| Gainbridge LPGA | 2021 | $300,000 |
| Meijer LPGA Classic | 2021 | $345,000 |
| Women’s PGA Championship (MAJOR) | 2021 | $675,000 |
| Pelican Women’s Championship | 2021 | $262,500 |
| Pelican Women’s Championship 2 | 2022 | $300,000 |
| LPGA Drive On Championship | 2024 | $262,500 |
| Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship | 2024 | $300,000 |
| Ford Championship | 2024 | $337,500 |
| T-Mobile Match Play | 2024 | $300,000 |
| Chevron Championship (MAJOR) | 2024 | $1,200,000 |
| Mizuho Americas Open | 2024 | $450,000 |
| The Annika | 2024 | $487,500 |
| 2024 Total Prize Money | 2024 | $4.4 million |
| 2025 Season Earnings | 2025 | $2.8 million |
| Career Total (LPGA) | Through 2025 | $16.1 million |
Endorsements
- Nike – Multi-year apparel and footwear agreement (signed January 2023)
- TaylorMade – Golf equipment contract including drivers, woods, irons, wedges, and TP5x golf balls (signed January 2023)
- BMW Group – Luxury automotive partnership
- Delta Air Lines – Major airline partnership (signed 2023)
- Goldman Sachs – Financial services brand ambassador deal
- Cisco – Technology partnership
- T-Mobile – Telecommunications sponsorship
- Whoop – Fitness wearable technology partnership
- Richard Mille – Luxury timepiece sponsorship
- Grant Thornton – Accounting and professional services firm
- Tumi – Luxury luggage partnership (signed July 2024)
- Ernst & Young (EY) – Accounting and business consulting firm (signed January 2025)
Career Records
| Record/Achievement | Details | Year Achieved |
| LPGA Tour Victories | 15 professional wins on LPGA Tour | 2018-2024 |
| Total Professional Wins | 20 victories across all professional tours | 2016-2024 |
| Major Championships | 2 major titles (2021 Women’s PGA, 2024 Chevron) | 2021, 2024 |
| Olympic Gold Medal | Individual gold medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics | 2021 |
| Five Consecutive Wins | Tied LPGA record (only Sorenstam and Lopez achieved this) | 2024 |
| Seven Wins in Single Season | Most since Yani Tseng in 2011 | 2024 |
| Highest World Ranking | World No. 1 (100+ consecutive weeks at top 2) | 2021-2024 |
| Ladies European Tour Wins | 3 victories across European tour events | 2019, 2022, 2023 |
| Career Prize Money | $16.1 million in official LPGA earnings | Through 2025 |
| LPGA Money List Ranking | 9th all-time career earnings (ahead of sister Jessica) | 2025 |
| Solheim Cup Record | 10-5-1 record (65.6% win rate) | 2019-2024 |
| Top-10 LPGA Finishes | 75 top-10 finishes in 143 LPGA starts | 2017-2025 |
FAQs
1. How did Nelly Korda get into professional golf at such a young age?
Nelly Korda was introduced to multiple sports as a child growing up in Bradenton, Florida, a hub for athletic training. She pursued golf seriously from age six with specialized coaching three to four times weekly. She attended IMG Academy, an elite sports boarding school, where she trained 4-6 hours daily with top-quality instructors. This intensive preparation allowed her to turn professional at 18 after successfully competing on the Symetra Tour, skipping college entirely in pursuit of professional golf.
2. What is Nelly Korda’s relationship with her family members in professional sports?
Nelly comes from an extraordinary athletic family. Her father, Petr Korda, won the 1998 Australian Open tennis championship. Her mother, Regina Rajchrtová, was also a professional tennis player for Czechoslovakia. Her older sister, Jessica Korda, is a professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour and has won multiple professional tournaments. Her younger brother, Sebastian Korda, is a professional tennis player on the ATP Tour who won the 2018 Australian Open boys’ singles title. The family dynamic created a competitive yet supportive environment that contributed significantly to Nelly’s drive for excellence.
3. What does Nelly Korda’s engagement mean for her professional golf career?
Nelly’s November 2025 engagement to Casey Gunderson indicates her commitment to personal happiness alongside professional ambition. She has stated that marriage plans for 2026 won’t derail her competitive schedule. Her fiancé understands the demands of professional golf and supports her career trajectory. Many elite female golfers (including her sister Jessica, who is married) continue competing at the highest levels while maintaining personal relationships.
4. How much money did Nelly Korda earn from her seven wins in 2024?
Her 2024 season generated approximately $4.4 million in prize money from seven tournament victories. Her largest single payout was the $1.2 million first-place prize from the Chevron Championship. The other six victories combined for approximately $3.2 million in prize earnings, averaging around $530,000 per victory (though major championships paid significantly more).
5. Which endorsement deal generates the most income for Nelly Korda?
While exact individual deal amounts aren’t publicly disclosed, industry analysts suggest that her partnership with Nike (for apparel and footwear) likely represents her most lucrative endorsement contract. The athletic apparel giant invests heavily in elite female golfers. Her combined Nike and TaylorMade partnerships (golf equipment) likely constitute 40-50% of her total endorsement income.
6. Has Nelly Korda won any amateur championships?
Yes, Nelly won multiple amateur titles before turning professional. Key amateur victories include the 2015 Harder Hall Invitational, 2015 PING Invitational, and 2015 Yani Tseng Invitational. She also represented Team USA at the 2015 Junior Solheim Cup and made the cut at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at age 14. By age 16, she was ranked in the top-10 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
7. What is the significance of Nelly Korda winning five consecutive LPGA tournaments?
This achievement placed Nelly in rare historical company. Only three LPGA players have ever won five consecutive tournaments: Annika Sorenstam (twice, in 2004-2005), Nancy Lopez (1978), and Nelly Korda (2024). No LPGA player has ever won six consecutive tournaments. This streak demonstrated unprecedented dominance and consistency, establishing Korda as one of women’s golf’s all-time great performers during sustained peak periods.
8. How does Nelly Korda’s 2025 season compare to her 2024 dominant year?
While 2024 saw Korda win seven tournaments with $4.4 million in prize earnings, her 2025 season produced zero victories despite accumulating approximately $2.8 million in prize money through 18 tournaments and achieving 18 top-10 finishes. This demonstrated the inconsistency possible even at elite levels—her endorsement income of $11 million remained stable, cushioning against fluctuating prize earnings and showcasing the financial security elite sponsors provide.
9. What is Nelly Korda’s relationship status with her previous partner Andreas Athanasiou?
Nelly Korda was in a relationship with Andreas Athanasiou, a professional ice hockey player in the NHL, from 2019 through approximately 2024. The relationship ended peacefully, and they’ve maintained professional distance. Korda subsequently began dating Casey Gunderson, the businessman she became engaged to in November 2025.
10. Will Nelly Korda return to World No. 1 after losing the top ranking to Jeeno Thitikul?
It remains possible but uncertain. Thitikul captured the World No. 1 ranking in August 2025 following Korda’s loss of the top spot after 71 consecutive weeks at the summit. Korda’s 2025 winless season, despite consistent performances, created the opening. For Korda to reclaim No. 1, she would need to win major tournaments or accumulate points faster than Thitikul over a rolling 104-week window. Her competitive drive and past dominance suggest she’ll make serious attempts to reclaim the ranking, though Thitikul’s emergence as a generational talent creates formidable competition.